Alienated
by Dream HUGE
Summary: It was suppose to be a fun campfire, but when origin stories pop up in the conversation, well Robin wasn't exactly comfortable. But it's not the Boy Wonder's fault he feels so alienated and separated from the rest of the team, he truly wants to share about his life. Unintentional traught, that can be brushed off as friendship; T for Artemis' mouth; one shot, may turn be two shot
1. Chapter 1

**Alienated**

*Outside Mount Justice*

The team sat around a campfire, most eating smores with the exception of Robin who sat back and watched quietly through his tented sunglasses.

"Can you tell us how you became Robin?" M'gann asked suddenly, looking up from the blazing red fire. Hearing this, the ebony haired vigilante inwardly cringed, although no emotion crossed his face, but the red heard speedster broke into giggles pointing at his best friend.

"You think you're gonna get an origin story out of this kid? Let's not forget Batman won't even let him tell us his **name! **Supey over here would have a better origin story," the teenager laughed, jabbing a finger at the Boy of Steel.

At the speedsters comment, the Boy Wonder's eyes hardened, though no one could tell behind his dark shades. Quicker than should be humanly possible, he flipped over the log he was sitting on and stalked into the forest, within seconds disappearing into the night.

The blonde archer said angrily looking after where the little bird had disappeared to. She stood up and stormed over to the redhead, grabbing his shirt color and pulling him up, "What the hell did you say that set him off?"

"What- what do you mean?" Wally asked, trying to wiggle out of the archers iron grip.

"I mean, that **you **know him the best, and you pushed one of his damn buttons, and now he's doing god knows what and seems pissed as hell," she all but yelled at him.

"I was just saying that he couldn't tell his origin story cause Batman-" Wally started, but was interrupted by a quiet deep voice from across the campfire.

"Is his origin story something to laugh about?" the dark haired boy of steel asked, his eyes holding the accusation he felt.

"Well, un, not really, I mean let's see," the red head seemed to be lost in thought for a millisecond before his eyes widened and he sunk to the ground, head in his hands, "Crapcrapcrapcrapcrappppp, I didn't, no I couldn't, I'm the worst best friend ever."

"What is it, Wally?" Kaldur asked, stepping forward and putting a hand on the speedster's hunched shoulder.

"I screwed up. Big time," and with that the red head jumped up and ran away, screaming his best friends name as he went. (Hero name, he didn't give out his real name)

-BREAKLINE—

The young vigilante sat in a tree watching his teammates like the little bird he was. He couldn't take it being down there like that. It sucked not being able to tell the rest of the team his story, how he came to be Robin, because for once he felt he could trust them, he felt that he could tell them, he felt like they were well, friends, which was a novelty for him, but orders were orders.

The shades covering his eyes made it hard for him to see at night, but he had tech-afied them to allow him to have an almost night vision mode, and of course the usual heat sensing one too, so the teen acrobat could see the heat signatures from all his teammates as they came and went.

He also noticed when a certain female archer started coming close to his hiding spot, so he did the logical thing and started jumping from tree to tree to avoid her, he just didn't feel like seeing them. He didn't want to see people that he couldn't actually talk to, which was like everyone on the team expect for Wally. But the Boy Wonder underestimated the archer for once.

"ROBIN! I know you're up there!" She called, looking into the trees, not at the particular one the bird in question was in, but in the general direction of his spot. "Please, just come down, the team's worried about you. Forget what Kid Mouth said, it's okay that you can't tell us that much about yourself, its Batman's orders, we get it."

"But I want to tell you about myself," he said quietly from behind the female hero, causing her to spin around to find him sitting on the ground against a tree. His upper chest and whole face where hidden in the shadows, the moonlight not reaching there, but Artemis noticed the small pair of sunglasses clutched in the vigilante's right hand.

The archer's eyes filled with sadness and pity as she approached the boy, still not being able to see about has chest. She took a seat next to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and staring in front of her. She felt his intense star on her, but she still only looked forward.

"I think-" she started but stopped, thoughts running through her mind, "I think that if you truly want to talk to us that you should. I know you don't want to disobey Batman, but I think it's important that you can talk to us, that we can be there for you, Robin," taking a deep breath, she paused glancing at the teen as he stiffened slightly at her words.

"I- When I first came, I felt totally alienated. Not only was I one of the few nonmetas, but I was also just a replacement. And don't say I wasn't," she growled out when she heard the young bird take a breath to protest, "I-I know I was, but I also know that I'm totally different from Roy, I know that when you got me instead of him, I added something, but it didn't change the fact that I was alienated and untrusted, and really I couldn't blame anyone. I hadn't been training with Green Arrow for long and no one knew who I was, but that feeling, that feeling of being lonely and closed off, it suffocated me. Don't tell the rest of the team this, it's only one more thing to add to the long list of regular old human me has trouble with, but Batman's alienating you right now, his choking you from what you need, Robin. So please, think about it."

The female hero, during her heartfelt and utterly eye opening speech, failed to notice the arrival of the rest of her team, who quietly stood in a few yards away watching the pair. But, of course, their presence was noticed by the Boy Wonder, and he slid his shades back on unnoticed to all except Artemis.

"Robin, look man, I- I was out of line, I'm sorry, bro. I just- I'm just sorry," Wally said, his emerald eyes conveying his apology and regret, and his eyes traveled to Artemis where he looked even sadder, not realizing how much she had been affected when first joining the team.

"I'm sorry I stormed off," a quiet voice came, making almost the whole team jump in surprise.

"You have no need to be sorry, Robin," M'gann said sweetly, floating forward and wrapping the Boy Wonder in a tight hug that he slowly returned, caught off guard with the affection he so rarely received but desperately craved.

"Can I share, my origin story with you guys?" the ebony haired teen asked uncertain.

"Of course, my friend. Would you like to go back to the campfire?" and with a few nodes of conformation, the team followed their Atlantian leader back out the woods.

Although, Robin lagged behind, deliberately making his pace slower and shorter than everyone else's, and Artemis noticed, having been the last one to get up from her seat on the forest floor. She glanced at the teen and slowed her pace when she noticed his stare on her.

"Robin, are you oka-"

"You will know who I am," he said softly, his head facing in front of him now, though his eyes were gauging for the female's reaction to his words, "Once I tell my tale, it's quite unique, and I know you are smart enough to figure it out easily. I'm not asking if I can trust you, that I already know, cause I can, but I'm letting you know that I do trust you, and I would like this to be my thanks to you."

"F-for what?" she stuttered, amazed at the young acrobat.

"For allowing me to see, for letting me feel again," and he had a sad smile on his face as he walked forward swiftly, going to take his seat in front of the blazing camp fire, and Artemis couldn't help but smile in her daze, proud of herself and of Robin.

**Ok so if you guys want me to go with another chapter about the team's reaction to Robin's not so pleasant origin story, well just let me know! **

**So I'm prob going to get back into my Art of Dick Grayson which is a slightly Traught story about Dick and Artemis (unknown to her who dick is) at school, so any ideas for that just though them at me! **

**Love you guys, and I'm super glad I'm finally getting back into writing, thanks to my trusty reviewers who have been awesome! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Quick AN: Ok so as Robin tells his tale, keep in mind that Wally knows who he is and everyone else expect for Artemis are not very well versed in pop culture and therefor wouldn't know the origin of the famous billionaire's ward Dick Grayson. **

**Alienated Part Two: The Tales of a Lone Bird**

"Where to start?" the boy mused softly, eyes looking at the blazing fire.

"How about you tell us why you became a hero, my friend?" Kaldur asked kindly, trying to make the teen acrobat feel at ease.

"I- It won't really make since to you guys," the young bird said with a wilted grin, "But it will by the end, I become a vigilante for revenge," the last word he said softly. His confession earned him looks of alarm from a few teammates.

"Revenge, Robin? But I've never seen you vengeful when we work," M'gann said, concern for her young teammate in her eyes.

"I- I'll start from the beginning," Robin took a deep breath before looking back into the blazing fire, the light reflecting off of his dark sunglasses, he slowly let out the breath and turned to the curious faces around him, "I didn't grow up normally, you could say," the Boy Wonder started with a wry smile.

"I was from a group of circus acrobats, my family. We were the best in the business and I had traveled with the same people in the same circus my whole life. In the circus, everyone was close, everyone knew everything about everyone and we were one big family. But it didn't last," the teen turned away back toward the fire, his voice letting the anguish and sorrow seep in, allowing his teammates to see how he was feeling for once.

"A mob killed my parents, murdered them," the little bird croaked, this earned him a gasp from M'gann who had unshed tears gleaming in her eyes.

"I watched my parents fall over fifty feet, my mom- my mom had this look of pure joy in her eyes as she swung toward me, but I can remember it crystal clear as it changed to one of total fear," the teen paused drawing breath, but was tackled by a hug from a now sobbing Miss Martian. He received a heavy comforting hand on his shoulder form the Atlantian leader, but all this affection and kindness only made the Boy Wonder lose it. Tears streamed down his face, escaping below his shades.

"But that's not the worst of it," he said hoarsely, voice cracking from emotion, "A split second after her face changed to fear, it changed again t-to- to apology and regret. That's all she thought about in her last second of life, not herself, not my father, me, SHE WAS SORRY THAT SHE HAD TO LEAVE ME NOT THAT SHE HAD TO DIE!" Robin howled out, voice conveying the pain he was, his head resting in his lap with his hand sagging at his sides, sobs racking his body.

Wally looked at his best friend in shock, yes Robin had told him about when his parents had died, but detached and never like this, and the Boy Wonder had never shared about his mother's face portraying her regret. The speedster numbly walked toward his best friend and crumpled down in a heap at Robin's feet, leaning against the log Robin was on and putting his hand on the teen's knee, trying to let the Boy Wonder know that he was there.

Quietly, almost a whisper, a voice thick with tears spoke, "And so the rage came, because I knew it was murder, and so came the revenge. Batman- Batman's trying to do what wasn't done for him. He doesn't want me to become him, he doesn't want me to be fueled with regret and revenge like him, but he also knew that if I didn't come with him and fight the good fight, that I would be on the other side. People use to say that Batman toes the line between good and evil, but when I was younger, I leapt back and forth across the line, like the acrobat I was."

Artemis looked at the teen before, and she could see herself, she could so easily see herself, but this boy's pain far exceeded anything that she had every gone through, she stepped over and sat next to the Boy Wonder her hand coming to rest on his bent shoulder.

Finally the Boy Wonder lifted his head, looking around to see his team all around him, he looked down to see Wally's sad smile and Artemis and Kaldur on both sides of him with M'gann kneeling behind him, still wrapping him in an embrace. The ebony teen looked down the log to see the Boy of Steel with something besides anger in his blue eyes, with sympathy shining brightly. He sat up a little straighter, but looked back into the fire.

"The League, you see, didn't meet me until about half a year after I became Robin, they don't know any of this in fact. The first few months were bad, really bad; I think Batman had all but given up on me when things changed. I'll go into that another time, maybe, but when it changed I turned into the little orphan boy the league all knows. I did things that I should regret," he added quietly, but receive a gentle squeeze on the shoulder form the archer of the group.

"Robin, you have nothing to regret," Kaldur began, "Thank you, for sharing all of this with us, your trust in us is significant and for that I commend you."

"Thank you, Robin," came a muffled female voice from behind Robin, who the Boy Wonder realized was M'gann who had her face buried in the teen acrobat's back.

With a smile from Wally, "Well I think that we've had enough adventure for tonight," the red haired boy began, "Unless of course, you wanna try and get lost in the woods again," and the speedster got just what he was hoping for, a familiar smirk and a smack to the back of the head.

"I'm the goddamn Batman's protégé, I don't get _lost_!" he said, smirk in place.

"I'm with Wally on this, for once, it kinda late, and we're all screwed if we have early training tomorrow," Artemis said, getting up from her seat.

"It does seem like a nice time to retire to bed," the team leader said getting up as well, and helping a lazy speedster up.

The rest of the team slowly got up and after dumping sand on the fire, headed back to the mountain. Artemis lagged behind this time, though. Robin took immediate note of this and could see her roaming gaze looking for his almost hidden form in the dark of night.

He watched her idle toward him, unaware that he was standing there, and just as she was reaching him, he could stepped into a stripe of moonlight, almost catching the archer off guard, but she shrugged it off, easily use to it.

"We'll laugh about this later? Really?" she said with a smile looking down at the ebony, who in turn lowered his sunglasses to look her dead in the eye with his gem like blue eyes, one eyebrow raised high than the other.

"I don't know what you are referring to, Crock," he said like the snobby rich boy he was, this of course got a snort and slight laugh from the blonde, causing the teen to grin, "See! I told you we'd laugh about this later! And look its later and you're laughing, worked perfectly!" Which, of course, only earned him a groan from the blonde as she trudged forward and the ebony teen bounced after him, a new lightness to his step.

**Ok so I just wrote all that real quick after I saw the responses that I got from this! And I've just gotta say thank you guys so much! I'm just getting into writing after a month or so off and it feels good and y'all make me feel great about it! **

**Also I could tack on a short last chapter about the reason Robin changed from being so dark when he was first becoming Robin, I really haven't thought it out that much, but if y'all want it just tell me so! **

**Read and review please! … and now I think I'll go sob over the stupid DC reboot that making me oh so sad… **


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